


Understanding

by timeless_alice



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, discussion of abuse, mentions of child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 19:27:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5882698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeless_alice/pseuds/timeless_alice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending of sorts to the episode Family of Rogues.</p><p>Len has a very different reaction to Barry's insistence that he can over come his past and become a better person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understanding

                Captain Cold was finally caught. Locked away behind bars, secured in the highest security wing Iron Heights had, despite having no metahuman abilities to speak of. Now, there was a glass window between them, for one last conversation. Lenny wore a smug grin, adamant in the justification of his latest murder, but Barry knew better. Deep down, tucked away beneath layers of snark and stoicism, there was something good that longed to do more.

                “Today just proved what I’ve always know. There’s good in you, Snart. You don’t have to admit it to me, but there’s a part of you that knows you don’t have to let your past define you.” Barry leaned forward, falling silent for a moment to let the words take hold.

     Lenny loved his little sister, would move earth itself if it meant keeping her safe. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

     In form of a reply, Lenny let out a sigh that held more than a little exasperation and rolled his eyes. His grip tightened on the prison phone, and after a slight pause he said, with all his usual coolness, “I’d like to ask you a _personal_ question, Barry.” He said Barry’s name with a level of detachment that he might as well just called him Flash.

     Giving no time for Barry to reply, he said with a casualness that startled him, “Have you ever stayed up all night, wondering if you were turning into your father?” Lenny tilted his head to the side, his steely eyes narrowed. There was the faintest hint of fury in his voice as he continued, “Or spend years thinking that maybe you _deserved_ to be hit so hard you can barely see straight?”

     Barry nearly dropped the phone, mouth gapping open as he struggled for words to say. He hadn’t, it was true. His father had gone to jail, and his mother had died, but Joe had shown him nothing but love, as if Barry were his own son. Despite the trauma of the past year, the still festering betrayal from Wells – Eobard? He still didn’t know what to call him - he couldn’t imagine living with that for years.

     He snapped his mouth shut. There wasn’t anything to say.

     “I thought so.” The fury was gone, the emotion back under Lenny’s control. “Listen, Barry, the sentiment is nice, but don’t act like you know me. This is nothing I haven’t heard before. And the truth of the matter is you don’t understand. You’ll never understand.” The sarcastic quirk to his lips made a return, and against all odds Barry never felt more defeated. “Now Barry, don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. But I have one more thing to tell you before the guards whisk me away to whatever impenetrable cell they have,” he said impenetrable as if it was a term up for debate. “Don’t you ever call me Lenny again.”

     With that, Snart hung up the phone and stood up, indeed to be marched off to his cell. All Barry could do was hang up his end of the line and slump in his chair, a little floored in how Snart still managed to win.

**Author's Note:**

> I won't lie, I absolutely despise this episode. I find the handling of Len and Lisa's backstory to be incredibly clumsy, but frankly that might have to do with loads and loads of my own personal projection.
> 
> Anyway. I just wanted this out of my system.


End file.
